Street and station indicator.



APPLICATION mum P313314, 1910'.

Patented 001:. 17, 1911.

a KEETS-SHEET i.

\ISW QR P. T. SPINDLBR.

STREET AND STATION INDICATOR APPLICATION FILED PERM, 1910.

Patented Oct. 17, 191] P. T. SPINDLER.

sag y c STREET AND STATION INDIGATOR. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 14, 1910.

Patented Oct. 17,1911.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

PERRY T. SPINDLER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN STREET AND STATION INDICATOR COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A PARTNERSHIP.

STREET AND STATION INDICATOR.

' Application filed February 14, 1910. Serial No. 543,674.

To all-whom it may concern.

Be it known. that I, PERRY, T. SPINDLER,

citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the countyof Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Street and Station Indicators, of which the :following is a specification.

This invention relates to street or station indicators of the double reel and web type, and has for its object to provide improved means for supporting and operating the web which bears the names of the streetsor stations.

The take-up may be operated by hand, as h reinafter shown and described, or other devices may be used for the purpose of actuating the same.

The invention embodies a casing, in which is mounted a frame carrying the web and the reels for the same, and this frame as a whole may be turned or reversed at the end' of the line, or elsewhere if desired, for the purpose of reversing the web for the return trip. The take-up 1 echanism is engageable with the reel devices in either position. Improved means are also provided for relieving the tension on the web incident to the increase in diameter of the reels on which it is wound.

The invention is illustrated in the accom pa'nying drawings in whic h- Figure 1 is a. front elevation of the device with a portion of the outer eas-ingn'emoved. Fig. 2 is an end elevation, the casing being broken away. Fig. 3 is an elevation of part of the take up devices, supported by a fixed end plate, said devices being engaged with the reel mechanism to take up the web, and to turn the reel frame at the end of the line. Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the reel frame and parts associated therewith, removed from the supporting frames. Fig. 5 is a rear elevation of the machine, the casing being removed. Figs. 6 and 7 are side and end elevations of the clutch release mechanism for reversing the web.

in side and end'view of web feeding devices. Fig. 13 is a detail of a locking bar. Figs. 14 and 15 are sectional details of parts shown in Fig. 11.

Referring specifically t0 the drawings, 6 indicates an outer casing which contains the mechanism, provided with an opening 7 through which the street or station names on the web may be seen.

The mechanism is' illustrated as operated by a lever 8' secured to a rock shaft 9 which extends through the end of the casing 6. The operative; parts of the mechanism, as well as the rotating reel frame, are supported by two end plates 9- and 10. The rock shaft 9 carries a slotted lever 11, located between the plate 9' and the end of the casing, and a spring 9' bears against this lever to return it after each operation. The slotted end of said lever receives a pin 12 which extends through a segmental slot 13* in the end plate 9, said pin 12 being secured to a swinging member 13 pivoted to a stud 14 supported by the end plate 9. The same stud carries a ratchet 15 and a spur gear 16 loose thereon. A pawl 17 is pivoted to the member 13 near its upper end and is pressed to engagement with the ratchet 15 by a spring 18.

The spur gear 16 engages with spur pinions 19 and 20. The formeris 'rotatably mounted on a stud 21 and is integral with a disk 22 which is provided with two short pins 22 projecting from the side thereof toward the reel frame. The. pinion 20 is rotatably mounted on a main stud or pivot rod 23, which also forms the axis about which the reel frame may beturned to be reversed. The pinion 20 is integral with a, disk 24, provided with holes 25. It may be here stated that the disk 22 and its pins 22 form one member of a clutch which operates the take up of the web, and the disk '24, with its holes 25, form one member of a dog is pressed by a spring 48 fastened to a support 49. A locking. bar 28 is pivoted on stud'29 on the side plate 9, and is used for locking the dog 26 in engagement with the ratchet, being normallyheld in-locking position, as" shown in "Fig. 3, by a spring 30. Asmall dog 31 is pivoted to the locking bar 28 and is provided with a spring 32, and its upper end is located in the path of the lower cam edge of the swinging member 13.

A spur gear 33 also engages with the gear 16, and is mounted on a stud 34 supported bya bracket 35 and the end plate 9. A pinion 36 meshes with the gear 33, and is integral with a cam 37 both of which'are attached to a shaft 38 which is provided A -with a crank 39 at its outer end;

A guide rod 40 is supported by the end piece 9. A locking piece 41 is pivoted to it iinafter described, the notches bein indi-.

- when the pins 120 on disk 78 come in conq a bracket 42on the end plate 9' and'is provided with a spring 4'4; to hold its free end in engagement in a notch in a circular piece 78 which turns with the reel frame as herecated at 86 and located at diametrica lly opposite points on the periphery of said plate.

45 is a bumper pivota'lly mounted on a stud 46, and pressed by a spring, 47 and its function is to retard or oppose the momentum of the reel by the tension of spring 47 tact with the bumper just prior to the com pletion of the semi-revolution of the reel.

y The web on which the names of streets or other matter appears at, regular intervals is.

, indicated at 50, .and it is provided at its side edges with eyelets 51 which are set in the web at equal distances apart. The revolving reel frame comprises two end plates-52 separated by braces 53 and .mounted on the main axis 23. These end plates carry-two idler rollers 54, a reel 55 and a reel 69, arranged respectively at diametrically. oppor. site points. The reel 55 is shown at the upper position and the reel 69 at the lower position, and these positions are reversed when the reel frame is turned half way around forv 60. The sha ft 58 carries two pin sprockets 61 the pins ofwhich. engagein the eyelets 5 1 of the web. These pin sprockets 61 are loose on the shaft, but are clutched thereto by means of sliding pins 63 carried by collars 62 fast on the shaft. The pins 6,3uengage the jawedends of the sprockets 6Q, and

are pressed to engagement by spring 64 so as to cause thesame to revolve with the shaft. These parts are duplicated on a shaft The shaft bearings are operable 65 which is located diametrically opposite theshaft 58, the shaft '65 being similarly mounted between theend 'plates '52. This shaft 65 carries a frictionally mounted sprocket 66 belted by a chain 66 to sprocket wheel 67 onshaft, 68 of the lower reel 69. The shaft 58 carries a cylindrical clutch member 82 which has in its end a-diametric .slot into which the pins 22 of the disk 22 project, and, similarly, the shaft 65 carries a'slotted clutch piece 82, which may be en- :outside of the web and serve to assist in keepingthe pin teeth of the, sprockets engaged with the eyeletsin the web..

Two levers 71 and 72, identical in construction, are pivoted at173 and .7et.,r espe'ctively. and are pressed bysprings .1 0.0;, and each carries two small rollers indicated at 75 at the outer ends of said levers.,, These rollers serve to guide the web and also .act to release the reel frame before it isreversed,

'as hereinafter described.- The levers have projections 71 and72 which acttOlift-and release the lock4l fromthe notch 86 in the provided with; lugs 75 secured to the ends of flat springs 81 respectively on the. inner pieces, 769 areside of the end-plate 52. The provided with pins 76 which extend through holes in the end piece 52 into the hub.77 of the circular plate 78,- and. the ends of the pins 76 are normally flush with' the outer side or. face of the hub-of the circular plate 78 and inposition to be advanced when the lever 71 or 72, is. tripped, into a' hole 25 in the circular hubor piece 24, by means ofthe appropriate spring 81, .to clutch the reel frame and .the piece. 24 which is carried as stated bythe gear 20. The. main stud 23 is provided with a cam 80 for retracting the pins 76 from the holes 25 to release the clutch.

inthe disk 24, As previously stated the reel frame is free to turn on its axis-with bearings in the end passes over the top idler'54r and thence downwardly and is engaged by the pins of the .pin' sprockets 61 on the shaft 65. Thence it passes backw'ardly across and around the pin sprockets 61 on the shaft 58, from which it passes under the lower idler 54 and thento the reel 69 to which its'end is fastened curtain from the reel 55 and taking it up on the reel 69, the lever 8 is pulled forwardly,

turning the rock shaft 9 and swinging the slotted lever 11, which causes the pivot 12 to follow the slot 13, which swings the member 13 on its pivot it. As it swings, the lower cam edge of said lever strikes the small dog 31, movement of which, however, in said direction, is prevented by the pin 31, and continued swinging of the part 13 turns the locking member 28 backwardly on its pivot 29 and unlocks the dog 26. During the same movement the pawl 17-has engaged a tooth on the ratchet 15 turning the same on the stud 14. The ratchet 15 and gear 16 are integral and the gear is thus turned one step of the ratchet. This rotates the pinions 19 and 20. The engagement of the pins 22 which turn with the pinion 19 and are .engaged in the slot of the member 82 fast on the shaft 65 rotates said shaft, and the pin sprockets ()1 thereon pull the curtain from the reel 55. The movement of the latter turns the sprocket 56 which by means of the chain 60 turns the sprocket 59, shaft 58 and pin sprockets 61 thereon, thereby producing a like movement of the latter ,and consequently of the web engaged thereby. This takes up the same length of web that has been unrolled from the reel 55. The sprocket 66 on shaft 65 being belted to the shaft (38 turns the latter and the reel 69 which thus winds up the web thereon as rapidly as it is unrolled from the reel 55. At the end of this movement the lever 8 is released and is returned to original position by its spring 9*. The operation is repeated for each street to be indicated. It must be understood that the sprocket on the end of shaft 58 is an ordinary friction sprocket. The same is true regarding the sprocket onshaft 65. If power is supplied to the shaft (35, the roll 55, will be rotated at a constantly decreasing speed; hence the movement of roll 59 will continue to decrease, and will at all times'take up the web for the reason that the sprocket-s referred to are frictional and that feature allows for all differences in speed.

'VVhen tlre last street has been indicated and the car is ready for the return trip, reverse movement of the curtain is necessary, and for this purpose the whole reel frame is given a half revolution, the reels 69 and 55, and the other parts, thus exchanging positions. A button 85 is provided on the web, at the end of the run, and after the last street is shown this button strikes the small rollers 7 5 on the lever 71, these rollers being too close together to permit the button to pass. The pull on the web therefore turns the lever 71 on its pivot 73, and the inner end of the lever lifts the locking member 41 from the notch 86 in the circular plate 78; Simultaneously the end of the lever 71 is lifted from in front of the piece 7 1, and the action of the spring 81 forces the upper pin 76 through the hub 77 and the plate 7 8 until said pin enters the upper hole 25 in the clutch member 24, thereby engag ing the clutch. As the operation of the lever 8-is continued the clutch thus formed transmits the motion of the gear 20 and the member 24 and turns the reel frame ahalf turn,

bringing the shaft 58 around to front posithe end plate 52 which permits the inner end of the lever 72 to drop into position in front of said piece and disen 'agc the clutch when the reverse movement of the web commences.

The pin sprocketsGl are so engaged by the spring rods 63 at their jawed ends as to cause the sprockets to rcvolve'with the shaft. Each member 63 is connected to a rod 86 which is carried by and turns with the plate 52 (see Fig. 10) which also carries the shaft and the engagement of the sprockets (3-1 and members (33 is continuous while the web is being advanced, but said. engagement is broken at the end of half of a revolution b v the ends of the rods 86 coming in contact with a beveled cam 50, one of which is fastened to each of-the end plates S) and 10 which forces in said rod 86 and withdraws the pin (33 from the jawed end of the sprocket 61 and thereby disengages the same,

leaving the sprockets 61 free to turn on their shaft, whereby the rear shaft (shown at 58 in Fig. 2) is free to permit the slip necessary to accommodate the increasing diameter of the web on the reel (39. between the rod 86" to the pin 63, in such manner as to permit the shaft (35 and said pin to revolve irrespective of said rod, is eli'ec ted by means of a ring 200 fastened to said rod and extending around the shaft, said ring engaging in a notch 199 (see Fig. 15) in the pin 63, thereby allowing the pin to revolve in the ring, but acting to slide the pin lengthwise when the rod 86- and ring 200 carried thereby are shifted.

In-oase a route is to be changed on either trip, a device for manually tripping the real frame is provided. This consists of a plunger 87 mounted on the end piece 9 and providedwith a bevel end 89 and a suitable spring 90. The plunger may be pushed in to cause its bevel end to come in contact with The connection crank handle 39 may be turned. This has engagement with the shaft 38 which carries the pinion 36 which transmits motion through the gear 23 to the gear 16, andwhen this is operated the cam 37 on the shaft 38 strikes and unlocks the locking bar 28, to permit the parts to turn and .thus take up the web.

bination of a frame, a revolving frame therein, a double reel and web mounted upon said revolving frame, the axes of the reels and frame being parallel take up devices supported in part by each of said frames and including clutch members carried by the respective frames, means to turn the revolving frame a half turn to reverse the respective positions of the reels and web and to engage the respective clutch members in either posi tion of the revolving frame.

3. In a street or station indicator, the com- ..bination of a revolving frame, double reels and a web mounted therein, a pair of web feeding shafts supported in the frame at 01 osite sides of its axis, means to revolve the frame a half turn to reverse the position of the web and said shaft, and take up mechanism engageable with either shaft to operate the same.

4:. In a street or station indicator, the combination of a revoluble frame, reels mounted thereon on opposite sides of its axis, web-' feeding shafts'mounted therein on opposite sides of'its axis, said shafts being geared to the reels, a web connected to the reels and ex tending around the shafts, means to turn the frame to reverse the relative positions of the reels and shafts, and means engageable with either of said shafts, when it is turned to a certain position, to operate the same.

5. In a street or station indicator, the combinat on of a revoluble frame, reels mounted therein, web-feeding shafts'mounted therein on opposite sides of the axis'of the frame,

each shaft having a clutch member at the end thereof, take up mechanism including a clutch member engageable with either of said clutch members when the frame is turned to a certain position, and a guide along which each of said first mentioned clutch '-memberstravels, from disengaged to engaged position when the frame is revolved.

6. In a street or station indicator, the combination of a revoluble frame, a locking member engageable with the frame to hold the same in either of two positions, a double reel and web mounted in the frame, means to take up the web in either position of the frame, a tripping device engageable-with said locking member to release the same, and means located at a predetermined point on the web to operate the tripping device, to permit the turning of the frame.

7. In a street or station indicator, the combination of a reversible frame, a locking member-cooperating with the frame to hold the same in either position, a double reel and web mounted in the frame, means to take up the web in either position of the frame, a pair of opposite tripping levers mounted on the frame and projecting respectively into position to engage and release the locking member to permit the frame to be reversed,

and means located at predetermined points on the web to operate the respective tripping levers, to release the lock. V

8. In a street or station indicator, the combination of a revoluble frame, double reels and a web mounted in the frame, a clutch member carried by the frame at the axis thereof, a locking device cooperating with the frame to prevent turning thereof, a take up mechanism operatively connected to the web and including a clutch member engage able with the said clutch member to turn the frame, means to normally prevent engagement of said clutch members, including a tripping device also operatively connected to the locking device, and means carried by the web, at a-predetermined point thereof, to operate the tripping device to release the lock 2nd permit engagement of the clutch memers.

9. In a street or station indicator, the combination of reels and web, a web feeding shaft having devices thereon engaging the web, a ratchet geared to the shaft, a swinging member carrying a pawl engaging the ratchet, a dog for locking the ratchet, a locking device yieldingly engaging the dog with the ratchet, said device being located in the line of movement of the swinging mem-' her to be struck and released thereby, and means to swing said member when desired.

10. In a street or station indicator, the combination ofv a revoluble frame, reels mounted-in the frame on opposite sides of its axis, feed shafts mounted in the frame also on opposite sides of its axis, pin sprockets loose on the feed shafts, clutch members mounted on the shafts and engaging said sprockets, a web extending around the reels and sprockets and engaged by the pins on the latter, a take up mechanism engageable with either shaft by a partialrevolutlon of the frame, and means to disengage the combination of reels and a Web connected thereto, take up mechanism operatively eonneeted to the web, said mechanism including an operating lever and a lock released by movement thereof, and hand-setting devices independent of said lever and engageable 10 with said mechanism and lock to operate the Web and release the lock.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature, in presence oftwo Witnesses.

PERRY T. SPINDLEB.

' Witnesses:

FLORIUN WILLIAM SCHMIDT,

NELLIE FELTsKoo.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

- Washington, D. G. 

